Binding post



United States Patent BINDING POST Alex G. Flax, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 10, 1956, Serial No. 577,413

6 Claims. (Cl. 129-12) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for securing a plurality of paper sheets in orderly fashion and more particularly to a device known as an extensible binding post which is adapted to secure paper sheets in ledger covers, books, calendar pads and the like.

lt is one particular object of the present invention to provide an extensible binding post which is especially adapted to permit ready removal or insertion of sheets secured thereby without removal of binder covers, catches, or other securing devices.

Ledger binders and the like as are generally well known to the art consist of a pair of covers, with a series, usually two, of binding posts permanently secured to one cover and adapted to pass through corresponding apertures in a top cover. The top cover is ordinarily provided with friction or clamping means to engage the binding posts of the base cover. The paper sheets inserted in the ledger binder are ordinarily provided with holes along one side of the sheet having a slot connecting the hole with the edge of the sheet. The object of the ledger binder is that when a series of paper sheets are placed over the binder posts, the sheets are tightly clamped within the binder. To remove sheets it is necessary to loosen the cover binder and slide out the individual sheet. Insertion of sheets, of course, requires the same action.

The binding posts are generally adapted to permit the attachment of'extensions to produce a ledger of any desired thickness. Ordinarily the thicker the ledger becomes, the more cumbersome it is to remove or insert sheets.

It is also to be noted that the securing force in a ledger binder is that amount of pressure which is exerted in the binder before the catch or securing device is clamped on. device to manually adjust the spacing of the covers to admit more sheets, which was done during the securing or insertion operation.

The prior art discloses a variety of devices to be used as binding posts which allegedly permit ready removal of individual sheets. Some of these devices include spring means associated with the telescoping posts which permit lifting of the binder covers and expansion of the spring to relieve the clamping pressure and permit removal of the sheets. In all the prior art devices the spring device suffered from structural complexity and excessive spring extension. As is well known, excessive extension of a coil type spring will exceed the elastic limit of the spring and cause it to lose strength and even its entire elastic properties so that it will no longer return to its original size and in fact its utility as a spring is either diminished or destroyed. y

Accordingly it is an object Aof the present invention to provide an extensible binding post which utilizes a spring compression operated tensioning device.

it is another object of the present invention to provide an extensible binding postwhich is adapted to permit ready removal of leaves in binders secured thereby.

.A further object of this invention is the provisionfof Itwas also necessary in the conventional ledger ice an extensible binding which has a long operating life by i virtue of spring tension means operated only within the elastic limits of the spring.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an extensible binding post which is adapted for connection with a plurality of other binding posts which may not be extensible.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an extensible binding post which secures ledger or paper sheets in a binder by a spring compression actuated tensioning device.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.

In one form of this invention an extensible binding post is provided having an outer post with a longitudinal cavity at one end, a hollow inner post disposed within the cavity, an internal restriction formed within the inner post, a core pin centrally located within the cavity of the outer post and extending through the restriction in the inner post terminating in a head portion, and a normally compressed helical spring disposed around the pin be- `tween the restriction and the head of said pin and adapted to permit further compression by relative movement of the inner and outer posts. f

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference should now be made to the drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an end view of a ledger partially broken away to show an extensible binding post;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a binding post and ledger in vertical section, the binding post being in a partially closed position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a binding post and a. ledger in vertical section, the binding post being in an extended position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention including a binding post secured in a calendar pad.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. l, there is illustrated an extensible binding post 8 constructed in accordance with this invention extending through a plurality of paper ledger sheets 12 and secured to a bottom ledger cover 14 by threaded means (not shown) and passing through an upper binder cover 18 and having a smooth threaded cap 2t) engaging the other end of the binding post.

Fig. 2 is a vertical fragmentary section of the post and ledger shown in Fig. l and specifically illustrates a hollow outer post 1t) internally threaded at one end 22 and having an internal transverse web 24 located at a point near the termination of the threaded portion 22. The web 24 is provided with a centrally located threaded aperture 26, in which is engaged a threaded pin Z8 which extends from the web within the outer hollow tubular post 10 and terminates in a head portion 3i). A hollow inner post 32 is provided which fits in close slidable telescoping fashion within the hollow outer post 10 being in this il lustration sufficiently long so that one end thereof extends beyond the walls of the outer post 10 when the other end is disposed against the web within said outer post. The hollow inner post 32 is provided with an internal restriction or collar 34 at the one end which is disposed within the outer post, and the inner post is externally threaded at the other end 36. Threaded end 36 is engaged in the bottom ledger cover 14 and is threadedly secured therein to a tapped anchor plate 40, As assembled, the pin 28 passes through the concentric walls of the inner and outer posts 10 and 32 engaging the threaded aperture 26 in the web 24. A normally compressed re silient spring member 38 is disposed between the head v30 of the pin 28 and the internal restriction or collar 34.y The outer post 10v is secured tothe ledger cover 18 by frictional mechanical clamping means 16 well known to the art and adapted to frictionally grasp the sides of a ledger binding-post 8. at any point thereon;

Thus it may be seen that the hctional clamping means may engage the post 8 or more particularly the outer post lllv at a pointv intermediate the endsthereof tolprovide se- Qurernent of a ledger containing sheets which are less in thickness than the overall length of the closedbinding post. Accordingly, this adaptability provides'for the securement of only a few sheets. betweeen the ledger covers, but with full use of the extensible features.

Fig. 2 illustrates the extensible binding post in partially closed position. The normally compressed spring member 3.8, is adapted to be further compressed by a totali overall ratio of about two to. one. To; operate the extensible binding post one merely draws the ledger covers 14 and. 1:8. apart and` thereby causes the inner and outer posts to slide apart in a telescoping fashion compressing, the spring member disposed around1 the pin 28 between the head ofthe pin 3? and vthe collar 34 on the inner post. When the spring is completely compressed, relative movement between the inner and outer posts is` stopped, although complete extension is` not necessary to permit the removal of ledger sheets. When normallyinl closed position as ,in Fig. l, the spring tensionholds the ledger covers together and binds the sheets 12 by pressure.

Eig. 3 is a longitudinal section ofi the postshown in Figs. l and 2 in fully extended position, showing the relative movement of the inner post 32 and outer post and compression of the spring 38.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the post 8 shown in Fig. 2 taken along the line 4-43 therein, showing the ledger sheet l2 having a slot and aperture 42 the outer post 1t), inner post 32, spring 38, and central core pin 28.

Fig. 5 is, a longitudinal section of an extensible binding post similar to that shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4 but adapted for use in a calendar pad;

The ligure shows generally a calendar base 44 with a side member 46 to raise the base from the desk or surface, an outer tubular member with externalthrea-ds 4S at the end wherein the hollowed inner post 32 is admitted into the cavity of the outer post. The calendar base is provided with a threaded. aperture, 59, intoL which the outer post is threaded. The, inner' post 32 slides out of the outer post l0, passes through a pluralityl of paper sheets 12, and terminates in a threadedend 3,6` to which is secured the threaded hanged cap 2l. The spring 38 provides tansion on the inner and outer posts urging the cap 21 on the inner post toward the outer post l0 secured,

to thecalendarbase, compressing and securing the sheets 12 .between the cap 21 and the base 44. As` the sheets are removed, the post automatically*compensates, for the removal, and the cap 21 slides downward as the inner post telescopes or collapses inside the outer post.

It will be obvious that certain moditications ot the specic embodiments shown may be made without departingtrom the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, as heretofore intimated, the extensible binding posts` of the present invention may be used in combination with a plurality of other binding posts which are not extensible, since the extensible feature of aV single post is` suicient for most purposes to permit removaland insertion of ledger sheets in rather thick ledger-binders.

The binders of the present invention have notl only the utility for use in ledgers or calendars as described above, but may also be used in books of any sort, ticket holders, tile card or library card holders, memorandum pads or the, like.

I twill thus be seen that an extensible binding post has been provided which permits ready insertion or; removal of ledger or other sheets in al binder withoutnecessitatingthe looseningv of the binder covers. It may also be seen that the extensible binding post ofv the present invention secl-ircsV the paper sheets in, bound relation b y spring, conipression and the operation of such binding post will not be in such a manner as to possibly exceed the elastic limit of the spring and thereby render the device useless. It is also apparent that the device of the present invention is specially adapted, by virtue of its features, to long service life, being foolproof in its operation and providing mechanical checks so that inexperienced persons cannot damage the device through lack of knowledge or skill.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the character of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, while retaining certain features which may properly besaid to constitute the essential items of noveltyI involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

l.A An extensible bindingpost for use with a binder including a base plate andi an. apertured cover plate adapted for engagement with said binding post, said post comprising ahollowl outer. post having a longitudinal cavity therein, a hollow inner post'disposedV within the cavity of the outer post, said inner post; being threaded at one end to engage such base.: plate and having an inter-nal collar, adjacent the other end thereof: atransverse web located within the cavity of said outer post, a centrally located aperture in the web, a pin fixed in they aperture in said web at oneend, saidpin extending through saidV collar and terminating in aheadgportion,` a normally compressed helical spring-.disposed aboutythe pin between the head ofl said pin and saidinternal collar-capableA of; further compression by relative axial movementl ofthe inner and outer posts.

2. A spring compression actuatedv extensible telescopingl binding post fon use with` abinder including a base platel andv an apertured cover; plate,l adaptedv for engagement with said binding post, saidpostcomprising a hollow tubular outer member internally threaded at one end to coaxially receive .similar posts: and having av transverse internal web located adjacent to the threaded portion, an internal, tubular memberV slidable in said outer memberv and extendingv froml the web to beyondtlieI outer. tubular member, said internal member; having, threads; upon the portionso extending-complementary vto said-threaded outer member adapted for threaded engagementwith such base plate or similarposts andhaving an-internal collar located adjacent the other inner` end,` a, centrally located threaded aperture in the transverse web, a pin member threadedwa-t one end toA engage the'aperturein the web, said pin member extendingthrqllghthe collarl of the-.inner member and terminatingV in an expanded-head-portion at a point within the-tubular members, and a normally com. pressed helical spring disposed around the pin'. abutting the collar at the-one end and the head of said pin at. the other end and capable of further compression by the extension of the inner and outer;V members intelescoping relationship to eachother.

3. An extensible binding post for use with, a binder includinga base-plate and anaperturedjcoverplate adapted for engagement withsaid bindingrpost, said post comprising a; hollow outerpost havingpa longitudinal cavity therein, a hollow. inner post disposedwithin the cavity of the outer post, said-inner post being threadedv at one. end to engage such base plateand having any internalk collar, adjacent the other end thereof a transverse web located within the cavity of said outer'post, a centrally located threaded aperture ink the web, avpin threadedly engaged with the aperture in said web, said pin extending through said collar and terminating in a head portion, a normally compressed helical spring disposed about the pinbetween the head ofsaidpinl and the internal collar and capable of further compression by relative movementof the inner andv outer posts.`

4. An extensible ledger. binder comprising al base plate havingy substantially aligned threaded apertures therein, extensible, binding posts threadedly engaged in `said apertures, and an apertured cover plate adapted for external sliding engagement with said extensible binding posts, each of said binding posts comprising a hollow outer post having a longitudinal cavity therein, a hollow inner post disposed within the cavity of the outer post, said inner post being threaded at one end to engage said base plate and having an internal collar adjacent the other end, a transverse web located within the cavity of said outer post, a centrally located aperture in the web, a pin secured in the aperture in said web at one end, said pin extending through said collar and terminating in a head portion at a point within said post, a normally compressed helical spring disposed about the pin between the head thereof and the internal collar capable of further compression by relative movement of the inner and outer posts.

5. The extensible binding ledger of claim 4 wherein each of the extensible binding posts is integrated with a plurality of coaxial nonextensible binding posts.

6. An extensible binding post for use with Ya binder including a base plate and an apertured cover plate adapted for engagement with said binding post, said extensible post being suitable for connection 4in end to end relationship with a plurality of non-extensible binding posts of a similar shape, said extensible binding posts comprising a hollow outer post having one end internally threaded to engage `similar posts, a hollow inner post disposed within the outer post and having external threads at one end complemental with the threads in said outer post, an internal collar formed in the inner post, adjacent the other end thereof, a transverse web located in the outer post, adjacent said internal threads a centrally located threaded aperture in the web, a pin threadedly engaged in the aperture of the web, said pin extending through said collar and terminating in a shouldered head portion, and a normally compressed helical spring surrounding the pin between the collar and the shouldered pin head capable of further compression by relative extension of the telescoped posts.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 275,602 David Apr. 10, 1883 665,694 Peters Jan. 8, 1901 1,837,039 Gober Dec. 15, 1931 

